Unsplash: Alexander ShatovInstagram is testing a way to make your Reels private with the use of secret codes and a useful hint to help users access them.
Although it’s not being enforced as of writing, TikTok’s ban in the US has influenced Meta to bring some of the app’s most sought-after features and benefits over to Instagram Reels.
It almost immediately began attempting to lure TikTok creators over with massive Reels bonuses, and even added a pause button to videos soon after.
Now, Instagram is testing a feature that lets you control who can view your videos by locking them with a secret code.
New locked Reels feature lets you give users a hint
The feature was spotted by TechCrunch, who found Instagram’s Design account using it on one of its latest videos.
When you first come across the video on the Design page, you’re prompted to press a button to enter a secret code. Once you tap that, the app will open your keyboard for the chance to unlock the video.
To make it slightly easier, Instagram is letting you include a hint to help users figure out the secret code. Once you get the code right, you’ll be able to view the video.
In this case, Design’s locked video appears to be an announcement that it’s launching a profile on Meta’s X competitor, Threads.
Instagram: DesignThis isn’t the first time Instagram has launched a feature that required users to unlock content in some way. Back in 2024, they added a reveal sticker to Stories that requires viewers to send a DM in order to unlock the time-limited content.
Instagram is continuing to beef up its platform with improvements to search as well, just as TikTok’s ban in the United States continues to loom over creators’ heads.
On April 4, 2025, President Trump signed a second 75 day extension for the bill – meaning TikTok has until June 18, 2025 to divest from its parent company or be banned in the United States.
